When Thoughts Will Soar: A romance of the immediate future

by Bertha von Suttner

“Truly, do you know that? Here behold me all eagerness! Tell me how.”

“Annihilate the whole crowd.”

A cloud of dissatisfaction darkened Victor Adolph’s face, but he made no reply. He had no desire to be drawn into a dispute. Orell’s views were well known to him and he avoided as far as possible affording him any opportunity of expressing them. He took up his book again and lighted a fresh cigarette. Yet he did not read; he only let his mind dwell on the theme that had been broached. The social question really interested him intensely, and not superficially either; he had studied the thing itself. He had long been secretly a subscriber to “Vorwärts,” and many times he had succeeded in smuggling himself into the assemblies of the local labor union, and once he had been present, unrecognized, at an international congress of Socialists. Not everything was clear to him in the doctrinaire aspects of the question, but deep in his heart he was on the side of those who are trying to obtain for the masses of the nations the joys and dignities of life. In order to get a clear notion of the battle against poverty, he would have had to make a study of poverty and see for himself; and then horrible abysses of woe would have opened before him; abysses of which people of his class and in general of all classes, that do not belong to the proletariat, have for the most part no conception.

And one thing particularly embittered him: the fearful lack of comprehension which he met with when he merely mentioned the subject in his own circles. No one seemed to have an idea of what was at issue. Poverty? Yes, that was found everywhere, but it always had existed and always would exist: there is no remedy, except to distribute alms, to establish free soup-kitchens, and so on, and that sort of thing is provided generously. To practice charity is certainly one of the cardinal virtues, and a host of people, notably the women of princely families, are in the front ranks, setting a good example!...

Naturally, there are also discontented people—the lazy who do not want to work or the rascally fellows who are always after higher wages in order to have more gin to drink. But especially guilty of the discontent are the agitators, the so-called leaders, the mischief-making demagogues. Opposition parties, revolutionary parties,—such have always been,—and the only remedy against them is iron firmness. As a last resort one always has the military to preserve the established order. Force is the best, indeed, the only security: the threat of armed force restrains the rabble. Without this wholesome fear the Reds would soon be on hand to plunder property-owners or to vote that all property should be shared equally—such nonsense! As if after such a division the industrious and the clever would not shortly possess more than the lazy and the rascally, and then there would be an end of all the famous equality ... no, no, those are idle dreams.... Inequality is founded on Nature.

These and similar phrases Victor Adolph had always been obliged to hear when Socialism was mentioned in his environment. With especial violence the opponents of a cause always succeed in demolishing the postulates that are never put forward by its advocates. “Equal division of property”—what Socialist would have ever demanded such a thing? Public possession, State possession is not equally divided possession—it is common possession, like the air we breathe.

The prevalent misconception which aroused Victor Adolph’s wrath extended not only to the nature of the social movement, but also to its progress. What it has already accomplished in organization, in clearing the way, what it is on the point of doing, those who stand aloof do not know. They frequently talk about the laws of nature, but only to draw from them the conclusion that all things will and must remain as they are. And they are ready to assist this well-beloved vis inertiæ with laws and clubs and cannon, but what the existing circumstances, what the events will bring forth in natural consequences;—they have no notion about that. With irresponsible frivolity they let come what may. They see nothing of the approaching flood; should there really be a shower or two, they have their umbrellas ready.

Victor Adolph had not himself penetrated far enough into the domain of social and economic affairs to predict how the movement would develop, but he followed it with deep sympathy, and was impelled to do so by two honorable motives,—desire for knowledge and love for his fellow-men.

The prince was aroused from his thoughts by the announcement—“His Excellency, Marchese Rinotti.” The general went to meet the visitor and brought him to the prince. After the first ceremonious greetings had been exchanged, obsequiously on the part of the diplomat, with friendly dignity on the part of the prince, the prince invited the marchese to sit down, and began the conversation with the question: “Is it decided that your king is coming here this week?”

“Yes, Your Royal Highness, in three days His Majesty will arrive.”